Moto Break
Words and Images: Jason Stilgebouer
What happens when you already have an adventure worthy truck and driving down rough dirt roads in 4 low and camping isn’t enough? What if you want to go just a little bit further than your truck will take you? We met up with our buddy, Sam Mcnees, to find out precisely what it means to go a little bit further off the beaten path.
Sam has a well equipped 2018 Toyota Tacoma SR5, with aftermarket upgrades such as off-road suspension, Method Race Wheels, 33“ Falken tires, lights, roof rack, traction boards, and CVT rooftop tent. There is no secret that his truck can take you almost anywhere you want to go; it gets the job done for most people that want to go off-road and camping.
"Adventure to me has changed over the years. It's more then just going out in the middle of no where with your friends to get away and has turned into getting somewhere that you didn't think was possible and the feeling of accomplishment you get out of that. Same type of feeling seeing something in real life for the first time that takes your breath away.”
- Sam
Sam has taken his truck all over the Southwest, from weekend trips to week-long trips, with his mountain bike traveling throughout California to places as far as Utah.
Sam has spent many years riding mountain bikes, not only using them recreationally but also racing. He brought his bike everywhere he went, but over time he was trying to come up with a way to go even further on the trails.
“I've been racing and riding mountain bikes for the last five years and have had opportunities to ride in some pretty spectacular places but you can only go so far on a mountain bike until your body can't handle it anymore. So that's why I got a dual sport, to go places that I wasn't able to get to before on a mountain bike.”
- Sam
So, what do you do when you want to take the adventure even further? You do what anyone would typically do, of course, buy a 2019 Honda CRF450L dual-sport and strap it to the back of your truck.
What is a dual-sport? A dual-sport motorcycle is a type of street-legal dirt bike designed for both on and off-road use. Typically, they are closest to pure dirt bikes and are great on rough trails with the option to ride it legally on the highway without sacrificing off-road ability.
Now that he has what some may consider to be the “ultimate off-road package,” a fully sustainable off-road truck and dual-sport dirt bike, he can virtually go anywhere. For instance, wherever he goes he can show up, set-up, then hit the trails on his bike within minutes.
Now he can go even further on his adventures and have the best of both worlds; his bike will allow him to create new experiences off-road and create new memories.
There is something spectacular about driving your truck even further into the mountains to find that glorious spot to get away from day-to-day life. Then having the option of the dual-sport to take you even further.
We learned something pretty awesome from Sam; for him, it isn’t about how fast you can go or what type of method you used to go on your adventure. It was about the experiences and the memories you make, having the best of both worlds makes that possible.
